Medical Excuses

Schiffert Health Center does not provide students with medical excuses for missed classes due to short-term illness or injury. This is consistent with policies from other peer institutions and with American College Health Association recommendations. All students can view their appointment history using the Healthy Hokies Portal - a list of past appointment dates is available within the Medical Records tab. When an illness or injury occurs that may disrupt academic responsibilities, the student is advised to contact their instructor(s) as soon as possible to notify them of the situation.

In the event that the severity or length of a student’s illness/injury warrants a written document, the student is to be referred by the practitioner to the administrative assistant who will write the letter.

Cadets may be provided with recommendations for activity or uniform limitations by a practitioner by noting these limitations on the Visit Documentation slip. It is the cadet’s responsibility to provide these recommendations to his/her company commander.

The following is from the Virginia Tech Faculty Handbook (November 14, 2022 Edition) Instruction-Related Policies:

“9.6.2 Class Attendance. Class meetings are an integral part of most courses and the central component of many. Therefore, both faculty and students are expected to meet at all regularly scheduled times, except for cancellations announced on a university-wide basis by appropriate authority.

If a faculty member cannot meet a class, it is his or her responsibility to follow departmental procedures so that appropriate measures are taken to provide for the missed class. 

When students cannot attend a class, it is their responsibility to make arrangements for any work missed as soon as possible. In cases of prolonged absences, students may ask their academic deans or the Dean of Students to notify their instructors of the reason for their absence. Staff members from the Office of the Dean of Students may verify absences from class for students who have documentation to support an absence beyond their control. The staff members send an absence verification notice to the college dean, who then forwards the verification to faculty members. A staff member from the Office of the Dean of Students reinforces with the student that he or she is responsible for contacting the faculty member to arrange make-up of any missed work.”